Arrow making process - questions

[TSA]

yup, yer both correct, if you know your desired arrow length, the 27" draw would be for a 28" arrow- and you can simply add #5 per inch longer!

[FilipT]

This is also a related question. Since arrows must have nocks and points to be able to do the bareshafting, what about points? I have/will have everything except the points. From what can I easily make them? I want to use them for target shooting, not hunting (prohibited here).

P.S.
I modified the title of the thread to more suitable. After all this is an Q & A thread.

[archeryrob]

TSA, I only make arrows from shoots and they have concentric rings. Most of the shafts I have used were Southern Arrowwood and Multiflora rose as my favorites as they were hardwood, took abuse and stayed straighted unsealed.

Softwoods I have tried and not likes
Hazel, I got in travel from a guy in Scotland. It shoots well but when the humidity is up it would bend on hard contact like the target and had to be hand straightened by eye after every shot
Roughleaf dogwood, Gathered locally and tended to slowly warp back to being bent.
Bush honeysuckle, very soft, break easy and warps.

I haven't been spending enough time in the primitive crafts lately as I have too many hobbies. I do have my eye on Russian Olive and it seems extremely promising.

[TSA]

Rob, i too love beautiful shoot shafts, i guess we as a specie are around today because we shot shoot arrows out of self bows.

some really good info there, with regards to different shaft materials..

[TSA]

Filip, i guess you could still taper the shoot shafts, just like you would do any other shaft, and glue on a field point.
 thatsb if you are referring to shoot shafts, for manufactured shafts, you can easily taper the front of the shaft and glue on a target point
there are many more folk on here that could give you a better answer in that regard.

i know Top Hat( i think they are a german company) have points that will just thread onto a blank wooden shaft.

[FilipT]

I have one more question:

I want to use beeswax and pork fat as a finish. When do I apply that to shaft and does it make any conflict with gluing the feathers, I mean will the glue stick to such surface?

[TSA]

i think the normal glues may fail to adhere to the fat content, PatB needs to be asked, he is a strong believer in the spray shellac, maybe you can just spray the shellac over the crown area of the shaft, then glue on fletching.
but with that kind of finish, sounds like those arrows would be an awesome fit for a eastern 2 fletch 

look into that verdigris  finish- old english. you could do that, on the crown, and then finish with the fat on the rest of the shaft-
you can do that verdigris finish without the green verdigris- and it will dry kind of clear- i believe- never used it but it looks amazing.

i guess you could glue your fletching on first then seal with the fat mix, but i dont think you would be able to replace a fletch at a later stage.

there may be some other natural sealants that may work as well, that are very primitive, like a natural varnish made from pitch and turpentine- i dont know the recipe- but i think i have read about Pat making some.

[TSA]

http://www.theenglishwarbowsociety.com/TudorVerdegris2016.html

[FilipT]

I heard of verdigris before, but I will reserve that for warbow arrows (I am also into warbows). Maybe I could just coat the first two thirds of arrow and than after gluing fletchings use some cloth to apply finish between fletchings.

[archeryrob]

If your arrows are of a hardwood and concentric ringed they might not need a finish. You can use the pork fat rendered and use heat to penetrate the wood pours. You could rough it where you need to glue. You can also lash your fletching. Here is pics of a fletching I did with single twisted dogbane fiber. I used this as it holds up to rain and getting wet during hunting where hide glue would defletch arrows glued down when rained or snowed on. The black was just hide glue with charcoal to look like pitch to set the knots from untying.

Another thing I have not had time to test is lightning grooves. I did not see them when I examined arrows at the Smithsonian, it its clearly documented about plains tribes using them. Many plains tribes used willow and dogwood which I've personally seen their ability to warp even in shoot shafts. Many of us have assumed that the compression of the wood like this might reduce its ability to warp. As I said, its an assumption and I have not tested it. I still have two Hazel field point arrows I should and see if they stop warping, but I have way too many hobbies and primitive archery isn't gaining traction at the moment.